March 3rd, 2011

“Toledo firefighters gave up $3.2 million in concessions alone. That’s why we negotiate. That’s what we gave them back.” — 22-year Toledo fire department veteran Dan Desmond“This is a wonderful compromise. By going to the legislative body, the elected officials who ultimately are responsible for the budgets and the taxpayers’ money will be the ultimate decision-makers.” – bill author Republican State Sen. Shannon Jones regarding replacement of binding arbitration by a neutral third party with “arbitration” by the State General Assembly or local city councils“I’m non anti-union, as the unions insist.I just want to take away their reason to exist.” – Ohio Gov. John Kasich (paraphrased)

The (once) Great State of Ohio

Has become the second domino.

The bill was introduced his week and has been debated for mere days,

The speed of which has left opponents in a daze.

It’s somewhat less draconian than an earlier version

In that it constitutes a slightly smaller collective bargaining incursion.

(Government workers can negotiate on wages, hours, and other specified conditions,

But negotiation for pensions and benefits is subject to prohibitions.)

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2 Responses to “Judge, Jury, and Executioner”

[…] March 4th, 2011 “We have to give out those billions of dollars in bonuses because they’re legal contracts.” – GOP and Big Business “But we don’t have to give out those millions of dollars in pension contributions, even though they’re legal contracts.” – GOP and Big Business “A dozen cookies are put down in front of a CEO, a union member, and a Tea Partier. The CEO takes 11. Then he says to the Tea Partier, ‘That union guy wants yours.’” – former Ohio Secretary of State Jennifer Brunner explaining Ohio’s current situation […]